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Bastrop County health officials are urging residents to take precautions after the area's first confirmed case of the West Nile virus this year.
The case was reported last month in a resident of Brazos County, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. The patient was diagnosed with West Nile fever, a mosquito-borne illness that can lead to serious neurological complications — including two local cases last year and the 2016 death of a 13-year-old Bastrop County resident.
“(Residents) should be aware that mosquitoes transmit disease, and some of these illnesses, like West Nile and dengue, can be severe,” said Jennifer Shuford, commissioner of the Department of State Health Services.
According to the department, there are no vaccines or medications to treat West Nile in people. Most infected with the virus don’t show symptoms, but some may develop fever, fatigue, nausea, headaches, muscle pain or a torso rash.
However, officials said that in less than 1% of cases the virus can affect the nervous system, leading to confusion, neck stiffness, convulsions, paralysis or death. Symptoms usually appear within two to 14 days, and Bastrop County Public Health representatives urged anyone experiencing symptoms to contact a health care provider.
The warnings come as the region enters peak mosquito season. According to AccuWeather, the forecast for Elgin and Bastrop County shows mosquito activity at “extreme” levels every day this week and next. The elevated risk is linked not just to current weather conditions, but to months of warm, wet patterns that have created ideal breeding environments for mosquitoes.
In response, Smithville leaders have resumed weekly mosquito spraying, with trucks operating Tuesdays and Fridays from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. Spray routes include both named and numbered streets across the north and south sides of town, as well as alleys, Riverbend Park and MLK Park.
Mosquito activity can continue locally through November and December, according to officials. To reduce the risk of mosquito-borne illness, residents are advised to wear long sleeves and pants outdoors, use EPA-registered insect repellents, keep doors and windows closed or screened, maintain pools and remove standing water from pots, gutters and any other containers.
